New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS): While the BJP attempts to woo voters in the four poll-bound states of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Assam, announcing major infrastructure projects and welfare schemes in the Union Budget, the opposition termed it an "election manifesto" that ignored the rest of the country.
The BJP is fighting a high-voltage election battle in West Bengal to dislodge Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress government and is also aiming for a second consecutive term in Assam. The BJP is also trying to form a government in Tamil Nadu with alliance partner AIADMK and working hard to increase its numbers in the Kerala Assembly where it has only one member.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed new highways projects of 3,500 kms in Tamil Nadu at a cost of Rs 1.03 lakh crore, 1,100 kms of highways in Kerala at an investment of Rs 65,000 crore. In West Bengal, she proposed 675 kms of highways works at a cost of Rs 25,000 crore and over 1,300 kms of highways in Assam at Rs 34,000 crore.
Rajya Sabha member and Assam Congress chief, Ripun Bora tweeted, "So, the BJP government has made parliament the place to launch election manifestos for Assembly elections. This Budget is nothing more than an election manifesto full of 'jumlas'!"
"Congratulations India, FM presents the election budget," Bora said.
BJP General Secretary and West Bengal in-charge, Kailash Vijayvargiya said that this year's Budget is an attempt to find a self-reliant India, new possibilities of employment and business. "When the whole world is struggling with a deteriorating economy, the new Budget under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought new hope," Vijayvargiya tweeted.
Congress Lok Sabha MP from Ernakulam in Kerala, Hibi Eden told IANS that the whole Budget exercise was turned into an "election drama" by announcing major infra projects in poll-bound states while ignoring the rest of the country.
"All the infrastructure projects are announced to reap political benefits in Assembly polls in four states to be held in coming two or three months. Even while announcing welfare schemes for poll-bound states, the BJP government has failed to include tea workers from Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the scheme announced for tea workers of West Bengal and Assam," said first-time MP Eden. The Budget proposed Rs 1,000 crore for welfare scheme for tea workers of Assam and West Bengal.
Budgetary announcements were made for Kochi Metro rail phase II and Chennai Metro rail phase II. Eden alleged that funds for phase II of Kochi Metro announced by UPA government were stalled and made part of Budget of 2021-22. "People are expecting announcement of phase-III of Kochi Metro rail but the BJP government announced budgetary provisions for phase-II," Eden added.
Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien said that India's first paperless Budget is also a 100 per cent "visionless" Budget.
"Theme of the fake budget is 'Sell India!' Railways: sold, Airports: sold, Ports: sold, Insurance: sold, PSUs: 23 sold! Common people ignored. Farmers ignored. Rich get richer, nothing for the middle class, poor get poorer," O'Brien tweeted.
Referring to 675-km highway work in West Bengal, Brien further tweeted, "What Bengal did yesterday, Centre only talks today, Budget '21 promise - 625 km roads in WB, WB government (2018) - new roads of 5,111 km, No one in India. Plus 1,165 km roads in 2019."
Talking about promotion of seaweed farming, Sitharaman announced setting up of a multi-purpose seaweed park in Tamil Nadu. DMK Lok Sabha MP from Namakkal in Tamil Nadu, A.K.P Chinraj told the IANS that these Budget proposals are just an announcement and in reality there is nothing on the ground to execute these projects.
"Announcements are made with an eye on upcoming Assembly polls including Tamil Nadu to grab power in these states. They will forget all the Budget proposals once the Assembly polls get over," Chinraj added.